"BEAST OF BURDEN" rolling stone
I attended the 7:00PM superintendent search at Harvey last night. Pretty "fair" turnout but I expected more.
The meeting was conducted by Dr. Richard J. Caster consultant for the Ohio School Board Association.
It was a very enlightening meeting although about 45 minutes in Dr. Caster remarked , "and you want him/her to walk on water too". Fair enough.
After listening to the qualities we are looking for in a new superintendent it came apparent we weren't looking for a miracle worker but someone who was honest and transparent and we could witness progress being made.
Certain themes kept coming up, honest, transparency, communication between everyone. A superintendent that was open and forthright with the community as well as the parents of the students. We are no longer interested in what can be hidden.
Some of the concerns was as a community recently being put on Academic Watch was found troubling.
Safety issues played a part in the discussion.
Public Image
Communication
Pre-school
Diversity viewed more as a plus to Painesville than a minus as well as an educator willing to think out of the box.
The problem of poverty throughout all students in the system.
Many residents felt the system doesn't not support technology. We may have computer labs but no one to teach the students how to use them. I have three grandchildren that can run circles around me on a computer as most of us do.
Support Innovation.
The group wants integrity, flexibility, honesty, invest in the community and someone willing to accept responsibility.
Most of you know how important living in Painesville means to me as that the new superintendent live in Painesville. After listening to Dr. caster and some in the audience , well just say it's not a deal breaker in some cases.
We have a good foundation here in town and everyone in attendance wanted the best for our students.
If you missed this meeting you missed a great opportunity to give our School Board direction.
After attending this meeting I went away with a different perspective on some of my concerns.
No mater who the Board may end up hiring if the parents don't fully support the importance of their child's education everything will have been in vain.
A leader of an administration who will support teacher authority. Have a plan and follow though.
If you missed the meeting I believe the board members will be willing to listen to your thoughts.
Maybe we are looking for a Miracle Worker?
posted by terminator1 @ 6:32 PM
21 Comments
21 Comments:
Unable to attend. Will there be anymore meetings?
The good Dr. also asked us if we would hire a retired super?
A double dipper?
He also made mention that if the levy passes in May, the new guy wouldn't have to make looking for money his first priorty.
People also wanted a Risk Taker?
where in deep trouble.
Did anyone bring up Van McWreath? Look how he has turned around Harvey in less than a year. He has high standards and he's extremely consistent and fair. He could extend this to the whole district.
Which town sues AMP first ?
http://www.midwestenergynews.com/2013/03/06/as-sec-investigates-towns-weigh-legal-options-on-prairie-state-contracts/#.UTcsrE6OAtk.gmail
I see Prairie State was on TV again last night?
http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/investigations/government-probe-into-power-plant-triggers-rate-hike-fears-in-cleveland-midwest-cities
Ronald Regan of Channel 5 ABC news started an investigation into these messes and now Peabody Energy has been subpoened. The Feds (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission) are seizing records and asking questions about Prairie State. He said they do not do these things lightly. They had a councilman, from Cleveland I think, on TV saying that the head of his city (mayor?) had never mentioned this to the council people. He was wondering why they weren't in the loop, since they were owners, too, etc.
Someone had mentioned previously on this blog that they thought that there should be investigations into the people in the cities that fought for these bad deals, and I wholeheartedly agree; I do not think those stones should be left unturned, and the investigations should make darn sure that there was no untoward incentives for the people who pushed their communities into these obviously horrific deals. Remember, here in Painesville, there were plenty of citizens telling McMahon and council not to do any of these deals, and they were pleaded with over and over again not to get us involved with these things.
Well we do know, the community that signed up for the most % of power for Prairie State and the AMPGS Meigs county fiasco the mayor has been bribed in the form of a college scholarship for his daughter .. staight from AMP ... how many more ?
New Bremen contracted for 600% more power than what they needed and it will soon bankrupt their community.
Hi Term,
Do you know what went on at the school board meeting tonight ? could not.
Thanks
6:52: Thanks for the reminder. Hopefully, now that that is known, the investigations into personal incentives of the leaders that got their citizens into these messes can be checked out thoroughly -- and I do hope "thoroughly" is the operative word.
When it was being discussed as to whether we should get into these deals, and the Painesville city leaders (McMahon and Hada were the main two), were keeping major pieces of information from us, we all knew they were, but we were not able to prove it; they were slippery and completely dishonest, and kept all the information they could from us for as long as they could to make sure these deals went through. I remember thinking over and over again then what in the world is in this for them, because I could not believe any reasonably intelligent adult could think these were not scary, bad deals.
We should have a town meeting and show all the portions of all the meetings where McMahon either didn't speak the truth, or didn't speak the whole truth on purpose. You could just see it was all shady then, and now it's just a black hole we have been pushed into.
I, for one, hope the investigations are very thorough.
8:16 McMahons gone, Hada seems to be irrelevant in future discussions on electricity.
Now will this Town Hall get our money back?
Let's wait and see where this SEC investigation along with others leads us?
Mentions of scholarships to Mayors childern does seem troubling.
Presently our city leaders are guilty of just not knowing better.
6:39 I missed last night school board meeting but was told it was pretty uneventful.
No one spoke during visitors time.
The Principal at Chestnut Elementary explained to the board what was going on at Chestnut.
Mr. Bull made a presentation that included where the schools were in "Race to the Top" Board member Mr. Dillard commended him on the work he was doing for the schools.
I will get the agenda later today and see if anything was missed.
More Prairie State news ....
http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/for-tiny-town-gamble-on-coal-plant-becomes-a-fiscal/article_9a8a6837-8bdb-5f79-bab0-3a6750ab53e3.html
Missed Dan Sebring moving to Bay Village....Greg townns resigning .....
Term 11:00 a.m. You are right. Our city leaders are not convicted of anything yet. But if they didn't know what a bad deal these things were, there would not have been a need for all the lying, half-truths and misleading that they did. They did everything in their power to deny us the information that was crucial, and even though citizens thought they knew things, they mislead and belly-crawled enough to skirt the whole truth and to get these deals signed. There's a sign outside of a church in Mentor right now that says a half truth is a whole lie. And there were many outright lies going on, too. I can't wait for these investigations to uncover things, and I hope meanwhile that the citizens get a reprieve from paying for these slimy deals. I blame our city leaders just as much as I blame the company that got us into these messes.
3:19 If I could take you back to the time of this deal. I believe McMahon and Hada viewed us as no nothing infants. They on the other hand were listening to the "experts" AMP-OHIO and their minions.
Now they might have been right about our lack of knowledge on electricity. But many could see a bad deal for many reasons.From the ecology to the financing this deal stunk.
How little they respected anyone who disagreed with them was unbelievable. To this date neither has admitted to making a
mistake. That's not in their
DNA. Half truths and claims are only the start. They use silence as a defensive shield.
When there's no comment 9 out of 10 times its because they got caught.
Painesville deserves exactly what you are willing to endure. Compare Painesville in 1983 to today. In 30years they have ruined the community and you let it happen.
Good god, if Galion can stand up and boot all of them out, why can't citizens in Painesville.
From the looks of it, Galion citizens have stood up and have outright called their leaders frauds and liars right to their faces in city council meetings and voted them out.
Painesville could take a lesson before it's too late.
Sorry 6:17 but as a Painesville lifer I would not consider 1983 as anything great to write home about either. The downward spiral started in early 70's with "urban renewal" tearing down half of downtown for New Market Mall and Mr. Whigs. Also our visionaries on council at that time promoted establishing Section 8 in Painesville, hence Argonne Arms. That is when the cycle truy began.
6:15 You bring up a good point. Sometimes when you chase after Grants ie;(free money) the end result isn't what you expected?
Back in that time period Painesville I believe would take a Grant for anything.
The people with financial means had already started the money flight.
I too am a lifer here in PVIlle 6:15 and you hit the nail on the head. We went into a downhill spiral way back when. I get very tired of listening to people bash the current politicians for the fault of those past. They destroyed this town. Now, someone is willing to start new but some other someones (Term & following) don't seem to want this either. Just can't please them. I wish they would put their efforts into helping by way of new and helpful ideas and suggestions instead of re-hashing the past. It is time to move on.
If you don't learn from past mistakes chances are you will repeat them.
Who is starting new? I for some reason see the same old same old.
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